No results can be found
Showing results for:
-
Athletes
-
Pages
-
News
Athletes
Pages
News
Washington, D.C. (11/13/2026) – The Washington Spirit will host its third consecutive semifinal match at Audi Field this weekend, taking on Utah Royals FC for a spot in the 2026 NWSL Championship. Kicking off at noon EST on Saturday, November 14, the match will air on CBS. Tomorrow’s matchday features at Audi Field can be found here.
The Spirit
Washington enters this weekend’s semifinal match off a dominant 4-1 win over Portland Thorns FC in last Sunday’s quarterfinal at Audi Field. Forwards Trinity Rodman (two goals, one assist) and Clara Luvanga (one goal, two assists) became the first two players in NWSL history to record three goal contributions in a single playoff match.
Washington is still led in the attack by Rodman, who upped her total regular season and playoffs output this year to 14 goals and nine assists last weekend. In the defending third, the side is led by Iron Women Tara Rudd and Sandy MacIver who played all 2,700 minutes of the regular season this year.
Across its history, the Spirit has hosted seven total postseason matches, holding an undefeated 5-0-2 record with both draws resulting in advancement after a penalty shootout. Washington’s first-ever home playoff match was at the Maryland SoccerPlex in 2016, a 2-1 win after extra time over Chicago. In 2021, the Spirit hosted its first playoff match at Audi Field, a 2-1 win after extra time over North Carolina.
In 2024, Washington bested Bay FC in the quarterfinal round by a 2-1 score after extra time thanks to a late equalizer from defender Tara Rudd to force the extra 30 minutes. The next weekend, the Spirit topped rival Gotham FC after penalty kicks thanks to another late equalizer, this time from rookie midfielder Hal Hershfelt, and three straight penalty saves from goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. Last season, the Spirit took a penalty shootout win over Louisville in the quarterfinals before earning a 2-0 win over Portland in its semifinal match. Last year’s semifinal win was the first-ever home playoff match in Spirit history that didn’t require extra time.
Saturday afternoon’s match will be the first-ever postseason meeting between Washington and Utah. The sides have faced off 12 times in history with all matchups coming in the NWSL regular season. The Spirit won the most recent bout with a 1-0 road win thanks to a Paige Metayer assist to Trinity Rodman for the match-winner. In Utah’s latest trip to DC nearly eight months ago, the Royals netted an equalizer late in the match to save a point.
With a win on Saturday, the Spirit would become the first club since 2019 to play an NWSL Championship at its home venue (2019 North Carolina) as well as just the second club in league history to reach three straight NWSL Championship matches (2017-19 North Carolina).
The Opponent
Utah Royals FC continues its first-ever NWSL Playoffs this weekend, fresh off a stunning 1-0 upset of second overall seed San Diego Wave FC last week in southern California. In its first postseason match in club history on Friday, November 6, Royals FC made it count as goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn turned in a perfect performance to keep a clean sheet against one of the top teams in the NWSL. Because Utah upset San Diego, Washington is able to host this weekend as the highest remaining seed on its side of the bracket.
Royals FC has been in strong form at Audi Field as of late, earning a point in each of its past two visits to the Navy Yard venue. Not since the club’s first-ever trip to DC back in 2024 has it lost on the road to the Spirit. Only Angel City FC, the Orlando Pride, and Utah have avoided defeat in back-to-back regular season visits to Audi Field since the start of the 2025 season.
In the attacking third, Utah is led by standout Mina Tanaka who scored nine goals this season. Also a key contributor on offense is Cloé Lacasse, whose ten assists matched a long-standing single season league record this year. Utah’s midfield has benefitted greatly from two former Spirit players this season as Narumi Miura and Courtney Brown have combined for all four of Royals FC’s goals from midfielders. Brown spent two season in DC with the Spirit as Narumi spent just the 2025 campaign with Washington.
All-Time Series History
The Spirit holds a 4-5-3 all-time record against Utah Royals FC with a -1 goal differential (10-11). The sides have only ever met in the NWSL regular season in the past with this weekend’s matchup being the first-ever postseason meeting between the two.
About the Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Never miss a post. Sign up to get Spirit news, alerts, offers, and discounts:
Drag & View 360°
